The disclosure relates generally to a wireless distribution system (WDS) and more particularly to techniques for monitoring and optimizing a distributed antenna system.
Wireless communication is rapidly growing, with ever-increasing demands for high-speed mobile voice communication. Wireless distribution systems are used extensively to extend the reach of base stations of cellular service providers. One example of a wireless distribution system is a distributed antenna system (DAS). DASs are particularly useful for deployment inside buildings or other indoor environments where client devices may not otherwise be able to effectively receive radio-frequency (RF) signals from a source, such as a base station, for example. They may be used for both voice and data applications. Illustrative applications for distributed antenna systems to provide or enhance coverage for wireless services include public safety, cellular telephony, local access network (LANs), wireless local access networks (wireless LANs), location tracking and medical telemetry inside buildings and over campuses. Distributed antenna systems may also be used for other radio-based communications services. As an example, local area wireless services (e.g., so-called “wireless fidelity” or “Wi-Fi” systems) and wide area wireless services are being deployed in many different types of areas, e.g., coffee shops, airports, libraries, and the like. Wireless distribution systems (WDSs) communicate with wireless devices called “clients,” “client devices,” “wireless client devices,” or “wired client devices,” which reside within the wireless range or “cell coverage area” in order to communicate with an access point device.
The manner in which a distributed antenna system provides or enhances coverage is through a plurality of spatially separated antennas. The distributed antenna system communicates with a variety of commercial communications systems to distribute their services, especially voice communications, to clients within range of the distributed antenna system.
In so doing, the distributed antenna system provides a physical layer or infrastructure for delivering signals from a base station or other radio transceiver to/from a user equipment of an end user. As a physical layer, the distributed antenna system knows nothing about how or what the user equipment is doing in the distributed antenna system coverage area, other than whatever a network carrier may tell the distributed antenna system. For example, the distributed antenna system does not know the strength of a signal received by a user equipment in the distributed antenna system coverage area. Nor does it know whether the user equipment is making a digital or audio call. The distributed antenna system cannot even tell how many pieces of user equipment are using the distributed antenna system. It is the service provider and not the distributed antenna that has the means for tracking this information.
What is needed is a way to: educate a distributed antenna system about the pieces of user equipment that are using the distributed antenna system; provide carriers with additional information about user equipment using their service useable to improve the quality of the signal and service of the subscribers; and identify, monitor, and resolve previously unidentifiable problems due to faults in the DAS system to provide a better user experience to the carrier's subscribers.